


hey i just met you, but you're the guy in my mouth, so call me maybe

by jogios



Category: Dorohedoro
Genre: Canon Compliant, I guess?? lol, M/M, Missing Scene, No Manga Spoilers, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:47:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24864799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jogios/pseuds/jogios
Summary: It's blue night; Risu and Kaiman share more than just a glance.
Relationships: Kaiman/Risu (Dorohedoro), Well.. you know
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





	hey i just met you, but you're the guy in my mouth, so call me maybe

**Author's Note:**

> i like them :)  
> i watched the anime and then read the rest of the manga in a night so hopefully this all makes sense LOL  
> just two dudes looking for each other on blue night...

“Anyone want a meat pie?” 

“Louder!”

“ANYONE WANT A MEAT PIE!?”

Kaiman was only a little irritated at the quiet sound of Fukuyama laughing from behind him, figuring he deserved at least a little retribution for lying to Tanba and his employees. They were unexpectedly nice, for magic users; standing up for him even after catching him at the blue night event, completely blowing off his duties at the shop. Which may have turned out to be a waste of time, having gained no new information regarding who Risu is nor his whereabouts. Kaiman would’ve sighed had Tanba not been next to him, ready and willing to hit him for a perceived bad attitude while ‘on the clock’. Or worse, fire him. Goodbye to a hot meal and bed. 

The heat from the box of pies he carried dispersed through his gloves and to the skin of his palms, and the feeling of it made him think of gyoza, and Nikaido, and how she was. Pissed, probably, for leaving with no notice. He regretted leaving her behind, it ate at him, but he knew he wouldn’t want to bring her into potential danger if he could avoid it. She was his first and only friend, and that meant something to him. Not that he didn’t miss her. Nikaido was someone who grounded him, made him feel less lost and confused, less like a lizard head empty of memory and more like Kaiman. A human. A human currently not in hole, where he belongs. A human, alone. He missed Nikaido, desperately, and he gripped the box just a little tighter. 

The street was mostly empty, few passersby and even fewer of those in the mood for meat pie. Blue night wasn’t technically over, apparently, and it seemed most people were still hoping to find a partner with the remaining time. Kaiman stared straight ahead, picture perfect salesman, as a hooded figure a little shorter than himself walked past, not even glancing at the group of them. One less pie sold. With how many remained in the box, Tanba might get mad…

Resolved to sell them all, Kaiman went to yell another pitch for the damn pies into the nearly vacant street, before a feeling not unlike vertigo washing over him forced his pace to stop, and he felt compelled to turn to look behind him, like a magnet caught by metal. 

The man who passed him earlier stood stock still, head tilted to look back towards him, and Kaiman felt like the gaze went skin-deep and deeper. It was as if a gear had gotten caught in his brain. Like the world and all its functions froze, and the only two things that remained were Kaiman and this hooded figure. Kaimain felt an odd sense of calm as they continued to stare at each other, even though his head and chest and his entire body screamed at him, yelling at him to remember, remember, remember! 

The person was about Kaiman’s height, shorter by a small margin, but thinner by a wider one. Their outfit was baggy and seemed ill-fitting and hastily thrown together, though plain overall. The hood of the jacket was up, but didn’t fully obscure the mask he wore. The only part of his face that Kaiman could make out was one, thin-slitted eye, marked by lined tattoos in the shape of a cross. The cold seemed to melt into Kaiman’s body, though it did little to bring him out of his stupor, for Kaiman was an insect caught in the trap of that singular crossed eye. Wait.

“Oi, Kaiman, what-”

“HEY!” 

Kaiman heard more than felt himself shout at the man, ignoring Tanba calling after him in favor of making a break for what Kaiman felt was his golden ticket. He’d regret it later, he figured. 

The man flinched at the sound of Kaiman’s yell and quickly turned to leave down the darkened street corner, but momentum was on Kaiman’s side, and before he could run off Kaiman had his shoulders gripped tightly, barely avoiding crashing fully into each other. The box around Kaiman’s neck swung wildly, meat pies threatening to topple to the pavement. If they haven’t already. There’d be time to regret that later, too. 

“Wha-Who,” and even the guy’s voice had a distinct presence in Kaiman’s head, like a drop of water in a still pond. It would’ve made him feel weirdly melancholy and tranquil, were it not for the sharp electric charge that seemed to cling to Kaiman from head to toe. His heart was damn near pounding out of his chest. He felt like he was teetering on the edge of a cliff, about to fall, and the hooded figure in front of him would decide if he lived or died. 

“You’re a crosseye, right?” Kaiman asked, his voice and throat feeling tight, like something was trying to claw its way out. 

The one visible eye seemed to darken, and through his gloves Kaiman could feel the shoulders beneath them grow taut with tension. 

“Why, what’s it to you? Looking for powder? I can’t help you,” the man said in a rush, voice frustrated and guarded, before putting his hands on top of Kaiman’s and attempting to free himself of the harsh grip that held him in place. Kaiman felt his patience snap in two, desperate. 

“No, fuck, I don’t want any damn powder or whatever, just, shit...Do you know a guy named Risu? He has eye tattoos like yours, and, and, spiky hair, I think, and…” Kaiman stopped for a breath, winded by everything he was currently feeling, noting when the guy stopped struggling at the sound of Risu’s name. Though, he didn’t seem any more or less wary. 

“...Why?”

Scratching the back of his head and sighing, Kaiman tried to piece together his words, though kept one hand firmly on one of the man’s shoulders, lest he try to make a run for it after all. His honest thoughts sat on the tip of his tongue, and the weird air and feeling in his gut had him blurting them out before he could stop himself. 

“Look, he’s...someone important to me. I think.”

“...What? You…? I don’t-” 

Kaiman felt impatience crawling up his spine. He felt so close to something, even if he didn’t know what, exactly. Frustrated and feeling odd, all foresight and critical thought gone, Kaiman decided to trust in his ol’ reliable. Tearing off his own mask in one jerky motion, Kaiman wanted to throw caution to the wind and just stick the guy in his damn throat, but was stopped by the guy finally struggling out of his hold. But, instead of running away, like he maybe ought to, he just stood and stared, his eye wide.

“You’re that lizard head…!” 

Kaiman’s breath caught in his throat and his voice came out like a wheeze. “You know me?!”

“No, but…” and Kaiman’s heart sunk deep into his chest, snagged at yet another dead end, before he caught the guy’s gaze looking behind him. Turning to look, Kaiman didn’t even get to brace himself before the sting of Tanba’s fist flying into his gut was already present. 

“Kaiman, what the hell are you doing?! Harassing people in the damn street...”

Kaiman stuttered, no real reason coming to mind, or at least none that he could fully articulate. To be honest, Kaiman had completely forgotten about everything except this stranger he had stopped. He felt jostled and off kilter. Confused. His head pulsed painfully at his temple, and he wanted nothing more than to know something, anything. He wanted to stand on solid ground. He wished Nikaido was here. 

Surprisingly, it was the stranger’s voice that had both Kaiman and Tanba peering to look over. 

“Sorry about that! Kaiman…” and at Kaiman’s name, the guy looked directly at him, posture unsure and inquisitive, and Kaiman quickly nodded after realizing what was being asked of him, “Kaiman and I are old friends! We haven’t seen each other since the last blue night, right?” 

Confused yet grateful, Kaiman decided it was in his best interest to play along. Stepping around Tanba, Kaiman threw a friendly arm around the guy’s shoulders, pulling him close. He went rigid against Kaiman, then let his posture fall lax, and seemed to naturally meld into his side. It felt..odd. Not bad or uncomfortable, they actually fit together well for strangers, yet it felt like a bell ringing loudly between his ears, setting off an alarm to tell him something that Kaiman had no fucking clue about. Kaiman resolved to ignore it the best he could for now, with the risk of no money or a place to stay hovering over him, or, at least literally standing in front of him. 

“Yeah, me and this guy go way back! Sorry about that, I was just so surprised to see him here!”

Tanba stared at the pair of them, brows drawn together. Dread filled Kaiman like sludge, but he kept his grin plastered on, the stranger’s oddly cold body sapping him of his body heat from where they met. Fuck, if he’s fired he might be screwed. 

Yet Tanba just sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. 

“Fine. Just hurry up, Kaiman. Surprisingly, the pies don’t sell themselves,” he griped, before walking to meet back with Fukuyama and Kirion from where they stood further up the street, obviously staring. He tossed a wave towards the stranger under Kaiman’s arm, with a perfectly gruff yet polite ‘nice to meet you’, then disappeared behind the next corner with the other two. 

Once they were out of eyeshot, the stranger ducked out of Kaiman’s hold. Kaiman went to thank him for saving him from his bosses wrath, but was stopped when the guy started talking first. 

“Who are you?” 

“Didn’t I ask you that, first?”

“Not really.”

“...Either way, isn’t it rude to ask who someone is with a mask on? See, I took mine off! Now, your turn!”

The stranger crossed his arms and seemed to glare at him. 

“Are you from hole?”

And if Kaiman’s blood didn’t run cold at that. 

“Of course not,” he lied, but his tongue felt heavy in his mouth and he knew he couldn’t convince this guy, like this masked stranger could see into and through him. Yet, there was a small feeling curdling in the back of his head, that he wanted to be seen by this guy. To fall from the cliff from before and have this stranger grab his hand and pull him back up. It was fucking weird, and bizarre, but not uncomfortable, and Kaiman didn’t understand any of what he was feeling. 

The guy hummed. “Uh huh, sure.”

Normally, Kaiman wouldn’t tolerate cocky attitudes, they grated at him to his core, but the most he felt now was to roll his eyes. 

“Well, whatever! You still haven’t told me shit! Now, do you know Risu or not? I...need to find him. Or anyone who knows him. He,” and Kaiman paused, exasperation leaving him as he met the eye through the mask, “may be my only hope.” 

The stranger’s stance changed, minutely, but noticeably, with how much attention Kaiman was paying him. From coiled aggression to confusion. He seemed to ponder something, and Kaiman took the chance to rub at his head. It felt like another headache coming on, but he felt so close, his hands just barely making contact with the answers he’s been looking for. 

But before he could fully react, a hand snaked its way into the box of steadily cooling meat pies hanging from Kaiman’s neck, snatching one before taking off. Kaiman, irate, moved to make chase. The figure stopped at the opposite corner Tanba and crew left behind, before glancing around, noting the lack of any lingering bodies, then turned to look Kaiman dead in the eyes, and for some reason Kaiman felt paralyzed. Pinned down just by a look. 

“I can’t tell you about Risu!” and Kaiman went to yell back at him, the seemingly one person who seemed to even recognize the name denying him, yet once more did the stranger's voice halt him, “But... there might be a town called Berith you should look into!” 

Kaiman made a mental note of the name, planning on asking Tanba about it tomorrow; when all his blunders from tonight were somewhat forgotten about. As he glanced back, the mask that had covered his face had been pulled up to reveal a mouth lined with sharp teeth, and a cocky smirk. The blue of the night sky seemed to reflect off his pale skin as he took one big bite of the pie in his hand. 

“Thanks for the food!” 

And he dashed off, leaving Kaiman standing like a sunflower in that empty road, like the sun had retreated along with the stranger with the crossed out eye and the sharp teeth. The strap of the box around his neck was weighing him down, struck down into the pavement like a statue. He didn’t know how long he stood there, staring at where the stranger disappeared like any second he’d come back and reach deep into his soul and yank something out. Only the call of Tanba up the street brought him out of his reverie, and only then did his gaze leave that dimly lit street corner. He was walking through tar and sludge all the way back, but no one commented on it, nor the missing pie.


End file.
